Structural design
Residential, commercial and industrial structures — new builds, alterations, additions and repairs.
- Retaining walls
- Pre-purchase assessments
- Initial and Detailed Seismic Assessments
- Pole sheds
- Swimming pools
Home Services
What we do
Structural and civil engineering, concept through to sign-off.
With over 100 years of combined experience, our team understands local conditions, Council requirements, and the importance of designs that are structurally sound, buildable and cost-effective.
Civil design
Stormwater and wastewater, roading and services — designed, documented and monitored through to sign-off.
Stormwater · Wastewater · RoadingTimber engineering
Timber solutions designed for New Zealand conditions — a long-standing specialty of the practice, and the reason we sit on the New Zealand Timber Design Society.
NZ conditions · Special interestNZS 3604 & specific design
Guidance on where the standard covers you, and specific engineering design for everything beyond it.
Standards · Specific designProducer Statements & consent support
PS1 at design and PS4 on completion, plus the documentation and answers Council needs to issue consent.
PS1 · PS4 · Building consentConcept → consent → construction
Four steps, and you know where you stand at each one.
We focus on clear communication, practical design and timely delivery — so you can move forward with confidence.
Free phone call
Tell us about the project. We'll say whether you need an engineer, what's involved, and roughly what it will cost.
Design
We work alongside you, your architect and your builder to produce a design that's sound, buildable and cost-effective.
Consent
Calculations, drawings and a PS1 lodged for building consent — and we handle Council's questions when they come back.
Construction
Site observation during the build, and a PS4 on completion so your project can be signed off.
How much does it cost?
We publish our prices. Most engineers don't.
Structural engineering typically runs 1–5% of total construction cost, covering design, detailing and construction supervision. Below are indicative ranges for the projects we most often take on in Nelson and Tasman, up to Building Consent lodgement.
Excl. GST · to consent lodgement
Initial phone conversationEvery project starts here
Free
Soil investigationsSite & ground conditions
$1,000 – $2,500
House alterations — simpleWall removals, small additions
$4,000 – $6,000
House alterations — complexStructural reworks, difficult sites
$10,000 – $16,000
New builds — simpleStraightforward site, standard design
$3,000 – $5,000
New builds — complexSpecific design, challenging ground
$12,000 – $25,000
Retaining wallsDesign and detailing
$2,000 – $5,000
Pre-purchase assessmentsBefore you buy
$2,000 – $4,000
Initial Seismic Assessment (ISA)Earthquake-prone building screening
$4,000 – $6,000
Detailed Seismic Assessment (DSA)Scope depends on the building
Ask us
Estimates only — they vary with complexity, scope and the quality of existing documentation. Council fees are charged separately; see the FAQ on Council consent fees.
Contact usHourly charge-out rates
Our current hourly rates are posted on Facebook.
Rates change from time to time, so we keep them where we can update them the day they change. Follow us and you will always have the current schedule — along with the projects we are working on around Nelson and Tasman.
Next step
Not sure which of these you need?
Tell us what you are planning. The first conversation costs nothing, and you will speak to an engineer rather than a call queue.